I finally cleaned my truck today! Andrea and the children left for a trip so I have been a bit bored :) It has been a while since I cleaned it inside and out by hand, but it looks a lot better. As I cleaned it for the first time in... well, quite a while, I thought of Matthew 23:25-26. Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to the Pharisees and scribes of His day. In these verses He criticized them for cleaning the outside of the cup but not the inside.
Try this next time when you clean your dishes from dinner... just clean the outside!
- Will you want to drink out of it or eat out of it?
- Which is really more important to clean- the inside or outside?
I found that with cleaning the truck, it was easier to clean the outside of it- a little soap and water and a rag and that's it! The inside took cleaning the windows, getting the trash out, vacuuming, dusting, etc. The inside is certainly harder to get clean! Look at this Scripture- Mark 7:17-23- Jesus here speaks to the same issue that the outside is not as important as what is on the inside. He talks about how out of the heart comes what we speak and how we act--- good or bad.
The inside is what counts. Let's work on that! Next week, I will go further into this in discussing training we need to grow in our walk.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Sustainable Spiritual Growth and Other Thoughts
I have been thinking a lot about the difference between a relationship with God based on rules and one based on love for Him. It seems to me that relationship based on rules just leads me to frustration and really not much of a relationship at all, but one based on love spurs me on to seek Him and know Him more. Funny thing about this is that the 2 just might go together. Jesus said, "He who loves Me will do what I say (follow My commands)." Love moves us to obey, but then again all of us have a sinful nature that we must reign in... this takes discipline because sometimes I, and I am sure you too, don't want to obey.
The children at HVCS are trained to love God and are taught how to walk in Him- to obey His commands. One thing that I want to do at HVCS is help our children determine how each one individually can find a relationship with God. This will be different with each person. In the book I mentioned in the last blog, it discusses different temperaments, learning styles, and pathways of spiritual growth. I believe I have found mine. I tend to be introverted (I recharge by solitude), a naturalist (I find God in nature, like on a hike in the mountains), contemplative (meditate on what I have read), and intellectual (I love God by learning). I am a visual and somewhat tactile learner too.
My point is that how I grow in my relationship with God is tied to how He designed and wired me. Find what your more natural bent is and seek Him in ways that He wired you--- I believe this is how to encourage sustained spiritual growth in your walk with Jesus.
The children at HVCS are trained to love God and are taught how to walk in Him- to obey His commands. One thing that I want to do at HVCS is help our children determine how each one individually can find a relationship with God. This will be different with each person. In the book I mentioned in the last blog, it discusses different temperaments, learning styles, and pathways of spiritual growth. I believe I have found mine. I tend to be introverted (I recharge by solitude), a naturalist (I find God in nature, like on a hike in the mountains), contemplative (meditate on what I have read), and intellectual (I love God by learning). I am a visual and somewhat tactile learner too.
My point is that how I grow in my relationship with God is tied to how He designed and wired me. Find what your more natural bent is and seek Him in ways that He wired you--- I believe this is how to encourage sustained spiritual growth in your walk with Jesus.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
How is your spiritual life going?
I am reading a book called The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg. I purchased the book at a church in Nashville- Crosspoint Community Church. It is similar to Elevation Church in Charlotte--- both are great experiences! The question in the title is something I ask myself often, but how do you determine the "well-being of your soul"? This book gave 2 questions that might provide a bit of insight that I am finding helpful:
Ask yourself these 2 questions:
(1) Am I more easily discouraged these days?
(2) Am I more easily irritated these days?
I believe, as this book points about, that at the core of a flourishing soul are the love and peace of God. The flourishing soul is equal to walking in the Spirit. When I walk in the Spirit, I tend to be more loving and less discouraged and irritable. How about you? I also know that when I am more self-centered, I get irritated and discouraged and I show a languishing spirit not a flourishing one. Something to think about this week.
At Hickory Valley Christian School, our focus is to glorify God in everything we do as Paul says in I Corinthians 10:31. We want to teach our children to walk in the Spirit along with providing academic excellence in a nurturing environment. If you have children at our school, I am sure you see and feel this kind of environment. Thank you so much for allowing us the privilege of serving you and your children!
Have blessed week!
Ask yourself these 2 questions:
(1) Am I more easily discouraged these days?
(2) Am I more easily irritated these days?
I believe, as this book points about, that at the core of a flourishing soul are the love and peace of God. The flourishing soul is equal to walking in the Spirit. When I walk in the Spirit, I tend to be more loving and less discouraged and irritable. How about you? I also know that when I am more self-centered, I get irritated and discouraged and I show a languishing spirit not a flourishing one. Something to think about this week.
At Hickory Valley Christian School, our focus is to glorify God in everything we do as Paul says in I Corinthians 10:31. We want to teach our children to walk in the Spirit along with providing academic excellence in a nurturing environment. If you have children at our school, I am sure you see and feel this kind of environment. Thank you so much for allowing us the privilege of serving you and your children!
Have blessed week!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
I love the attitude of our basketball team. As I have watched them over the last 2 games, I have noticed some characteristics that I believe we can all use more of.
(1) Perseverance- The last 2 games have been tough for them. The other teams have more experience and are taller or faster... they don't give up. The 1st game they scored 4 points, the 2nd game they scored 19.
(2) Maintaining a good attitude in difficulty- Even though the other team scores over and over, they are positive and treat the other team with respect.
(3) Persistent prayer- They are unashamed to pray before and after the game together on the gym floor.
These are qualities mentioned in the Bible. Look at the apostle Paul- beaten, stoned, made fun of, and many other things, yet persevered, maintained good works, and prayed often in tears and in joy.
Just some thoughts for you for the next week :) May the Lord bless you this week!
(1) Perseverance- The last 2 games have been tough for them. The other teams have more experience and are taller or faster... they don't give up. The 1st game they scored 4 points, the 2nd game they scored 19.
(2) Maintaining a good attitude in difficulty- Even though the other team scores over and over, they are positive and treat the other team with respect.
(3) Persistent prayer- They are unashamed to pray before and after the game together on the gym floor.
These are qualities mentioned in the Bible. Look at the apostle Paul- beaten, stoned, made fun of, and many other things, yet persevered, maintained good works, and prayed often in tears and in joy.
Just some thoughts for you for the next week :) May the Lord bless you this week!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year from HVCS!
Welcome to my blog! This is designed for current and prospective families of HVCS. The blogs I share sometimes will be about school and education, sometimes about something I read from the Bible recently, and sometimes something going on with me and my family. I hope you enjoy and will visit often! I will have posts most weeks.
2011 is upon us and I am very excited about what this year will bring us as a school family at Hickory Valley Christian School. I hope soon you will see some changes in our facilities that will get you as excited about the 2011-2012 school year at HVCS as I am! This month (January) we will have parent coffees for current families and I will share some of the new things planned :). I feel you will be really pleased! Save these dates for our parent coffees:
- Upcoming 4-5th graders- 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 11th
- Upcoming 1st-3rd graders- 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 18th
- Upcoming K4-K5- 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 25th
As we prepare for re-enrollment, here are a couple of resources for your review that validate who we are--- a Christ-centered school with small class sizes and is by design only going to grow to just over 200 students.
- Small class size- http://privateschool.about.com/od/choosingaschool/qt/sizematters.htm, http://www.edpriorities.org/Info/SmallerClass/Smaller_FS.Benefit.html - The bottom line in these articles is that small class sizes, especially in the younger grades equals greater achievement up through high school!
For His Glory,
Jack Exum
2011 is upon us and I am very excited about what this year will bring us as a school family at Hickory Valley Christian School. I hope soon you will see some changes in our facilities that will get you as excited about the 2011-2012 school year at HVCS as I am! This month (January) we will have parent coffees for current families and I will share some of the new things planned :). I feel you will be really pleased! Save these dates for our parent coffees:
- Upcoming 4-5th graders- 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 11th
- Upcoming 1st-3rd graders- 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 18th
- Upcoming K4-K5- 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 25th
As we prepare for re-enrollment, here are a couple of resources for your review that validate who we are--- a Christ-centered school with small class sizes and is by design only going to grow to just over 200 students.
- Small class size- http://privateschool.about.com/od/choosingaschool/qt/sizematters.htm, http://www.edpriorities.org/Info/SmallerClass/Smaller_FS.Benefit.html - The bottom line in these articles is that small class sizes, especially in the younger grades equals greater achievement up through high school!
For His Glory,
Jack Exum
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)